Basic Tools for Gardeners

While experienced gardeners are likely to have three times this many tools in the shed, this list will give you a basic idea of the tools you'll need to have to take care of a home landscape:

Shovel

Spading fork

Leaf rake

Bow rake

Leather garden gloves

Pruning shears

Trowel

Sprayer (even if it's just a hand-held, window cleaner type)

Wheelbarrow

Different regions of the country also have their own specialized tools. In areas with heavy clay or rocky soil, for example, it sometimes takes a pick to break through the subsoil. In the Southwest, a tool called a caliche bar (also known as a crowbar) is used to pole holes in the concrete-like caliche soil.